A night vigil will be held in Cape Town on Monday, 14 July, to pay respects to Paige Bell and her family. It would have been Bell’s 21st birthday today.
Bell, who was a crew member of a luxury yacht in the Bahamas, was murdered on 3 July.
READ: Paige Bell murder: Family travels to Bahamas to seek justice
A fellow crew member, a 39-year-old Mexican national, was arrested and appeared in the Nassau Magistrate’s Court on 9 July. Previous police reports said he was 40 years old.
Prosecutors say Brigido Muñoz Lara, an engineer, slit Bell’s throat while the yacht, the ‘Far From It’, was docked in Harbour Island, Eleuthera.
Her body was found in the yacht’s engine room. The suspect had then apparently tried to kill himself by slitting his wrists.
Muñoz Lara had bandages on both wrists when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley.
He was not required to enter a plea, and bail was denied. Muñoz Lara returns to court on 20 November.
To honour Bell on what would have been her 21st birthday, a small vigil is being held for her at Hillsong Church this evening, 14 July, at 18:30.
The vigil is being organised by the ‘Memory of Jayde Panayiotou’ Facebook page community.
“This is for any friends or family of Paige, as well as members of the community that are wanting to commemorate Paige and her beautiful soul that has touched this world so deeply. Although most of Paige’s friends and family are in Durban, a space is being created for the community to come together to pray for her family and the devastating situation that they are facing, and to celebrate Paige’s birthday. Whether you knew Paige or not, this is for anyone wanting to play a part in supporting her family and praying for justice in this tragedy.”
Bell’s murder has sent shockwaves through the international seafaring community. A petition calling for mandatory criminal background checks for all seafarers has gained renewed traction after her murder.
Meanwhile, a television station in Mexico, Tele Saltillo, has reported that international media have misidentified the suspect.
A photo of Brigido Muñoz was widely published, but according to the television station, it is the wrong Muñoz.
He told the local Zócalo newspaper that he has never left Mexico.
“This is getting out of hand. My picture was stolen from my Facebook it’s affecting me and my family. It’s a mistake that has caused me a lot of problems and it’s not easy to solve. My kids are already being bullied. I’m even afraid to go out on the street; my photo is everywhere.”
